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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/30025812">Moonberry’s Riviera</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SnufkinWufkin/pseuds/SnufkinWufkin'>SnufkinWufkin</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Mumintroll | Moomins Series - Tove Jansson, Muumit Rivieralla | Moomins on the Riviera (2014)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 23:21:12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,839</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/30025812</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SnufkinWufkin/pseuds/SnufkinWufkin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Moomin can’t keep his fancy off of a flutist he saw at the Midsummer bonfire. After this admiration gets the best of his heart and he ends up taking this boy to their childhood vacation place, he soon discovers there is more to Snufkin than what would first catch the eye...</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Mumintrollet | Moomintroll/Snusmumriken | Snufkin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Moonberry’s Riviera</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A warm orange glow spreads over the hills of a distant valley. A valley known for its quiet, almost homely nature. Even newcomers felt as if they knew this place for their whole life, for everyone was so welcoming and friendly, they settled in instantly. This valley is named Moominvalley, and is home to the Moomins, of course. The heart of the valley, the ones who welcome you with open arms, the ones who give even the homeless a place to call their own. Right now, the source of the orange glow is the valley's Midsummer bonfire, as it is Midsummer after all. Everyone in the valley is having a fantastic time, laughing and dancing around to the song of a flute. However, one of the folk can't take his eyes off of the mysterious figure playing said flute. This creature is Moomintroll, son of Moominmamma and Moominpappa. Moomin had been watching this flutist for a while, unable to focus on anything else. He wasn't sure what it was, be it the way the light of the flames danced along their face, how their eyes softly held closed as they played on the wooden pipe, or their thin, grey, gentle figure. No matter what it was, it drew him in like a moth to an oil lamp. He was ever so entranced... ever so mesmerized... ever so...</p>
<p>"MOOMINTROLL!"</p>
<p>"AH!" Moomin jumped, turning quickly to face Snorkmaiden, his childhood girlfriend. She didn't seem happy, her fur a dark shade of grey, darker than the skin of that flutist. He composed himself, managing to speak again. "I'm so sorry, Snorkmaiden, I was somewhere else completely."<br/>"Yeah, for the whole of this night!" she snapped in return, "What about me? We haven't even danced at all! What could be so interesting that you'd just... forget that I exist?!" Moomin didn't know exactly how to explain himself so he panicked and spat out,<br/>"I didn't forget about you! I just--" But he couldn't finish his sentence, as a sound of something tapping against glass was heard. Pappa was calling everyone to a speech, but when he began to speak, Moomin's eyes drifted back to the flutist. They had stopped playing and was looking back at him. All night, he hadn't even seen their eyes, but now he did. They were like marbles, various shades of green, hazel and yellow twisting into each other with an outline of a faded grey. They say the eyes are the window to the soul, and the soul he saw was that of a free spirit, someone who escaped from the chains of authority and was now in the wild, free to be themselves, free to do what they please. He admired the soul he saw. He wished he were as free as them... A warm smile spread across the flutist's face, causing Moomin's face to feel like fire. The orange glow nearby grew frequently, which only highlighted every trace of beauty in this creature's figure. But he felt someone grab his wrist and pull him away from the party.<br/><br/>Snorkmaiden stood him in front of him, her fur darker. Oh no...<br/>"What are you doing staring at another woman?!" she yelled, making Moomin nervously kick the ground. "Well?! Explain yourself! Do you even love me anymore?!"<br/>"Of course I love you, Snorkmaiden!" Moomin replied with a scared expression, causing Snorkmaiden's eyes to furrow and her fur to fade to a small tone lighter.<br/>"You're not acting like it, you haven't acted like it all night! What is it about her that gets you so... interested?!" Moomin didn't even know. He had no idea what he was doing. He looked down in shame.<br/>"...I don't think they're a woman--"<br/>"WHATEVER THEY ARE!" she cried, her fur going darker, "THAT DOESN'T EXPLAIN HOW YOU'RE SO INTERESTED!"<br/>"Can't I just look at someone I find pretty?!" Moomin yelled back, taking Snorkmaiden by surprise. Her fur changed to a dark brown, shock with a hint of anger. "I can't help who I find attractive, even if I am in a relationship! How is it wrong?! YOU STARE AT MEN ALL THE TIME!"<br/>"B-But that's something I can't help--!" Snorkmaiden tried to argue, but got stopped.<br/><br/><br/>"IT'S NO DIFFERENT FOR ME!"<br/><br/><br/>Everything went silent. Even the party. All eyes were on him now, even the eyes of that flutist. Internally, Moomin panicked, but he still stood his ground and kept a stern expression. “It’s no different for me.” he repeated. Snorkmaiden stood there in shock, her brown fur turning lighter. She was more genuinely surprised now. Her fur faded back to its normal pink colour as she sighed, calming down.<br/>”Moomintroll... I think we should break up,” the words emerged from her mouth, but they didn’t hurt Moomin. They more or less calmed him down.<br/>”Yeah, it’s better for the both of us,” he replied with a relieved sigh, “we’ll still be friends... right?” Snorkmaiden’s soft paw took Moomin’s into it and she smiled a reassuring smile to him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>”Of course, Moomin”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>————————————————</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The next morning left Moomin slowly emerging from bed. Yeah the breakup was a relieving thing but it felt odd. Snorkmaiden wasn’t greeting him at the window anymore, which was how he would normally wake up. He looked into his mirror and flattened down his messy fur. He dreamt about that flutist last night. Their shining eyes reflecting in the orange glow of the bonfire, their smooth grey freckled skin, that smile that made his heart catch on fire and dance along with the rising flames. He only noticed now that his face was completely red. Wow, just thinking of this creature made him blush like mad. What was wrong with him?</p>
<p>He climbed down his window ladder and dropped down onto the soft grass. He quietly made his way over to the beach and sat down. This used to be Snorkmaiden’s favourite place. He remembered her sitting here and playing in the water with her feet, giggling and splashing Moomin. They could still do that... it just didn’t feel the same anymore... he found himself missing her. They were still friends but he missed her. He missed her smile, he missed her laugh, he missed her obsession with her looks, her stories, her singing, her style... he leant to his side, wanting to collapse into the beach and lay there feeling like garbage. But instead he collapsed into body heat. Panicked, he looked up at who’s lap he way laying in. His eyes then met with the twisting marble colours of the flutist. Instantly, a wave of fire danced over his cheeks as he say up quickly, crying out countless apologies. The creature laughed at every single one until Moomin calmed down.<br/>”Honestly, you great lump, it’s fine” they reassured him. This was the first time Moomin had heard their voice. It was a low pitch but soft, maintaining the Moominvalley accent but with more of a sense of freedom and wonder than a sense of homeliness. It was new, but also not new. Very... uncanny. “You don’t have to apologise so much for it. I wouldn’t mind you laying in my lap for the whole day” They winked, causing Moomin’s face to burn worse. But he put his head back and stared up into those marble eyes. The marble eyes that stared back into his.<br/>”So...” they began, “I gather from that argument last night that your name is Moomintroll, correct?” Moomin was about to reply when something small landed on his face.</p>
<p>”AAGH! GET IT OFF!” Moomin cried out as two sets of laughter began. One was the soft voice of the flutist, the other was someone he hadn’t heard before. He managed to get whatever was on his face off and he held the strange creature up by the armpits. It was a Mymble, a small one at that. He happened to notice that her black and white striped dress was rather tattered and dirty.<br/>”Hm, you need a new dress.” he told her. She was just kicking her legs at him, trying to make him put her down. She bit at his paw, causing him to yelp in pain and drop her. She landed on her feet and snickered, running over to the flutist and climbing onto their green hat.<br/>”Moomintroll is right,” the flutist replied, causing the little Mymble to groan, “you really need a new outfit, dear sister”<br/>”THAT is your sister?” Moomin asked in surprise, “That... gremlin?”<br/>”Oi, I’m not a gremlin!” the Mymble’s high and raspy voice exclaimed, “I’m Little My!” Moomin just nodded and walked over to his house, the flutist and Little My following behind him.<br/><br/>When he walked in, he saw that Mamma had a visitor. She looked a lot like Little My but she was wearing a lilac dress and of course she was taller, about the size of the flutist. As she looked over at the trio, her face lit up and she ran over, hugging the two guests.<br/>”Snufkin! My!” she cried happily, “it’s so good to see you both!” So their name was Snufkin. It was strange, but he liked it. “It feels so odd not having you at home, all the responsibility is being put on me!” The siblings laughed. Moomin was just confused, what a strange household.<br/>”At least we’re away from said responsibility,” Snufkin replied with a smile, “Who’d have thought that three of the Moonberry siblings would be hiding away in a common valley?” Moonberry? Common? What were they even talking about? Moomin felt a bit out of place and... uncomfortable. He backed up into the kitchen to have a break from all the overwhelming goings on.<br/><br/>He could hear the muffled speech and laughter of the Moonberry siblings as he hid. He just covered his ears and sighed. It reminded him of the Midsummer bonfire. He missed Snorkmaiden, to the point it hurt to be around groups. He wanted to be alone... with her... with SOMEONE. He wanted to feel loved again, not like how Mamma loved him, like how Snorkmaiden did... he wanted to feel wanted... he wanted someone to care again... He opened the door just a crack and eavesdropped on the conversation.<br/>"Do you remember how we used to go to that place for our family vacations?" the taller Mymble asked, "What was it called again?"<br/>"Oh, the Riviera?" Snufkin suggested. The Riviera? They went there for a vacation? That name, Riviera, sounded too fancy for someone like them. <br/>"Yeah! Gosh, we had our own rooms, right? All fancy and pink," the taller Mymble added, "gosh... looking back on it now, that was SOOO inappropriate for you, brother." Ah, they're a boy. At least Moomin knew that now. But this Riviera place... what if they went there and Moomin could spend some time with Snufkin? Maybe they could get closer... and... maybe... No, he was thinking too fast. He would bring it up in passing conversation as a family trip suggestion. Nothing suspicious about that... right?</p>
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